On the calendar today …
- EVENT: Wildfire: Weather, Water, Weeds, Wildlife, Day 3 from 2pm to 5:30pm: The Day 3 session focuses on how agencies, utilities and communities manage and respond to fire impacts. In Panel 1, we examine how agencies utilize land, resource, and infrastructure management to plan for the “anthropocene” or “pyrocene”. Panel 2 will focus on how engaging stakeholders can increase resilience. Hosted by the Council for Watershed Health. Click here to register.
- EVENT: Northern California Tour 2021 – A Virtual Journey from 2:30 to 5:30pm. Join the Water Education Foundation on a virtual exploration of the Sacramento River and its tributaries and learn about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
La Nina arrives, threatening to stoke droughts and roil markets
“A weather-roiling La Nina appears to have emerged across the equatorial Pacific, setting the stage for worsening droughts in California and South America, frigid winters in parts of the U.S. and Japan and greater risks for the world’s already strained energy and food supplies. The phenomenon—which begins when the atmosphere reacts to a cooler patch of water over the Pacific Ocean—will likely last through at least February, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said Thursday. There is a 57% chance it be a moderate event, like the one that started last year, the center said. While scientists may need months to confirm whether La Nina has definitely returned, all the signs are indicating it’s here. … ” Continue reading from Bloomberg here: La Nina arrives, threatening to stoke droughts and roil markets
SEE ALSO: Double-dip La Nina emerges: Climate pattern may influence remainder of hurricane season, winter ahead, from NOAA
Late October rains could dampen wildfires and help with drought, forecasters say
“A wetter than average forecast for late October could dampen wildfires burning in Northern California and help ease drought conditions, according to the National Weather Service. The latest weather outlook for the latter part of this month calls for above-normal precipitation in California, with possible high-elevation heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades. There is also potential for an atmospheric river between Oct. 21 to Oct. 27, forecasters said. The increase in moisture is anticipated to quell ongoing wildfire activity and help to improve drought conditions, said the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Late October rains could dampen wildfires and help with drought, forecasters say
SEE ALSO: ‘Near-record’ rainfall could hit the Bay Area soon. Would it end wildfire season?, from the San Francisco Chronicle
The drought in California this summer was the worst on record
“The West’s historic, multi-year drought is threatening water supply, food production and electricity generation. It has drained reservoirs at incredible rates and fueled one of the most extreme wildfire seasons the region has ever experienced. In California, drought conditions this summer were the most extreme in the entire 126-year record — a clear sign of the role climate change plays in the perilous decline of the state’s water resources. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that drought months are becoming the new normal, with rainy months becoming fewer and farther between. Climate researchers say two major factors contributed to this summer’s severe drought: the lack of precipitation and an increase in evaporative demand, also known as the “thirst of the atmosphere.” Warmer temperatures increase the amount of water the atmosphere can absorb, which then dries out the landscape and primes the environment for wildfires. … ” Read more from CNN here: The drought in California this summer was the worst on record
Central Valley Project begins 2022 water year with 3.21 million acre-feet of storage
“As severe drought conditions continue, the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project began the 2022 water year with 3.21 million acre-feet of water—one of the lowest starting points in recent years. CVP major reservoirs include: Trinity, Shasta, Folsom, New Melones, Millerton, and the federal share of San Luis Reservoir—approximately 52% of a 15-year average. The water year begins Oct. 1 each year and ends Sept. 30. “After a dry 2020 water year, a critically dry 2021, and beginning the 2022 water year with one of the lowest carryover storage amounts in recent years, Reclamation remains all hands on deck and fully committed to planning for another dry year,” said Regional Director Ernest Conant. “We will continue to collaborate with our water users, stakeholders, and agency partners to develop and implement proactive measures and creative solutions to get through the coming water year together and best manage our critical water resources.” … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Central Valley Project begins 2022 water year with 3.21 million acre-feet of storage
Biologists continue to find zero Delta smelt in Sacramento-San Joaquin waterways
“For the fifth September in a row, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has caught zero Delta smelt in its Fall Midwater Trawl Survey of Northern California’s Delta. Once the most abundant fish on the entire estuary, the species is now near extinction in the wild, although U.C. Davis continues to raise the fish in a captive breeding program. The Delta smelt population has plummeted over the decades since the State Water Project began exporting Delta water to San Joaquin Valley growers in 1967. … ” Read more from the Sacramento News & Review here: Biologists continue to find zero Delta smelt in Sacramento-San Joaquin waterways
Filmmaker Emmett Brenner focuses on California water stewardship
“On a bright, blustery October day, a day that felt almost like normal fall weather, I had a conversation with filmmaker Emmett Brenner about his latest film, Reflection: A Walk with Water. In the film, Brenner and fellow environmental advocates walk the length of the Los Angeles Aqueduct to raise awareness about the misuses of water in California and the acute effects it’s having on the land. Brenner’s film informs, educates and empowers viewers. Reflection teaches about how water is moved, how that relocation affects the surrounding land and how short-sighted city planning results in shocking and avoidable water waste. It also shows ways, happening in real time, to resolve this mismanagement of water. … ” Read more from the Bohemian here: Filmmaker Emmett Brenner focuses on California water stewardship
Does protecting land work to protect wildlife?
” … The causes of biodiversity loss are global: habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, overconsumption. The major policies to enhance biodiversity, likewise, often highlight general goals of protection at scales and timeframes difficult to connect back to specific places or individual species. In California, for example, Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered the state to conserve 30 percent of its land and waters by 2030. President Joe Biden issued his own executive order in January for a national 30 by 30 plan. Both of those plans rely on a common belief that protecting land works to help biodiversity. Surprisingly, very few studies have tested this assumption. … ” Read more from Bay Nature here: Does protecting land work to protect wildlife?
How this year’s historic fire season compares to others in destructiveness so far
“The 2021 calendar year is already the second biggest year on record for wildfires in California. As of Oct. 6, nearly 2.5 million acres burned in more than 7,800 fires across the state this year, with new and old blazes powered by dangerous conditions still igniting and spreading, according to Cal Fire data. But despite historically dry conditions, this year’s fire season hasn’t been quite as destructive as last year’s record-shattering season. In 2020, 4 million acres had burned in 8,700 fires by Oct. 6. … ” Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle here: How this year’s historic fire season compares to others in destructiveness so far
In commentary today …
Water is the future of food, farms, family
Shanna Long, a fourth generation journalist and former editor of the Corning Daily Observer, writes, “National Farmer’s Day was pretty special around here. On Tuesday, our youngest daughter brought her very first walnut crop from the field to the huller, marking four generations of production agriculturalists in the family. It began with her great grandfather, Charles, followed by Dudley, then my husband, Greg. Now she joins this special group of Americans – past and present – tasked with feeding the world. … ” Read more from the Tehama Daily News here: Water is the future of food, farms, family
Lithium in Imperial Valley could light California’s future
David Hochschild, chair of the California Energy Commission; Ben Hueso, state senator representing the 40th District, and Silvia Paz, Alianza Coachella Valley and chair of the Lithium Valley Commission, write, ” … Last year, electric vehicles became California’s No. 1 export and our state is proud to be home to 34 zero-emission vehicle related manufacturers. However, one of the most important raw materials that makes these vehicles possible — lithium — is today produced almost entirely overseas. … Fortunately, California possesses one of the world’s most significant reserves of lithium. According to some industry estimates, our state has enough lithium to meet as much as one-third of today’s global lithium demand. Located in the Imperial Valley, the giant cache of lithium sits thousands of feet below the Salton Sea area in naturally heated groundwater tapped by local geothermal power plants to produce clean electricity. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Lithium in Imperial Valley could light California’s future
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Fort Bragg downgrades water emergency, no longer receiving water from Ukiah
“Recent rainfall and the arrival of a desalination system are allowing Fort Bragg to reduce the city’s water emergency from a Stage 4 water crisis to a Stage 2 water alert. That means businesses and residents can ease up slightly on their water conservation efforts. The city was also able to pause receipts of water from the city of Ukiah since water deliveries were exceeding demand. Fort Bragg can meet that demand now without outside help. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Voice here: Fort Bragg downgrades water emergency, no longer receiving water from Ukiah
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Fall-run Chinook salmon return to Coleman National Fish Hatchery
“It’s shaping up to be a good year at Coleman National Fish Hatchery, east of Cottonwood. Plenty of fish returned, making it pretty much a sure thing their quota of fertilized eggs will be reached. Fall-run Chinook salmon are jumping at the chance to return to the hatchery. They’re shoulder to shoulder at the weir in Battle Creek, a major tributary of the Sacramento River. … ” Read more from KRCR here: Fall-run Chinook salmon return to Coleman National Fish Hatchery
A joint effort to protect the Central Valley’s water, ecology
“Like a human fingerprint, California’s Sacramento Valley is truly unique. On the leading edge of ecological and economical sustainability, it’s also an exceptional place to live, work, and raise a family. The Sacramento Valley joins together a world-renowned mosaic of natural and human abundance: productive farmlands, teeming wildlife refuges and managed wetlands, the largest salmon runs south of the Columbia River, dynamic rural and urban communities, and life-giving rivers and creeks that support it all. Yet we are missing the full suite of benefits once provided by the interaction of the Sacramento River with the Valley’s formerly vast floodplain wetlands. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association blog here: A joint effort to protect the Central Valley’s water, ecology
“There’s just hardly even a puddle,” drought dramatically lowers Chico’s Horseshoe Lake
“As the Northstate focuses on the lowering water levels at Lake Shasta and Oroville this past year, one smaller lake in Chico is now considered a puddle by those who frequent it thanks to California’s drought. Horseshoe Lake’s shoreline in Upper Bidwell Park has dropped to levels so low that longtime residents don’t recognize it. Marijke McSpadden caught a glimpse of the lake for the first time in months Wednesday morning. “I’m still kind of digesting it. I haven’t been here in a few months and I thought it was low when I was here the last time,” says McSpadden, staring longingly over the cracked ground that once was submerged in water. ... ” Read more from KRCR here: “There’s just hardly even a puddle,” drought dramatically lowers Chico’s Horseshoe Lake
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Lake Tahoe drops below its natural rim
“Lake Tahoe is now terminal. The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center on Tuesday night reported that the level of Lake Tahoe fell precipitously over the past couple of days despite the recent snow and has fallen below its natural rim. The center said the level reached the natural rim at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and then rose slightly a couple of hours later, but by 5 p.m. it was again at the rim and has continued to fall. The water level falling below the rim is six days sooner than the center anticipated. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Lake Tahoe drops below its natural rim
SEE ALSO: Water level hits four-year low at Lake Tahoe, from KCRA Channel 3
Boreal makes drought-friendly snow ahead of ski season
“The summer fun has come and gone in the high Sierra and the mountains are ready for the change of seasons. Up at Boreal, staff members have been busy boxing up the bike equipment and dusting off the skis and snowboards. They’re getting the resort ready inside and out for an opening day that is fast approaching. “We are doing all sorts of things to get ready for the season,” Boreal manager Max Gaal told FOX40. “I hope we have a big winter with lots of folks getting outside to enjoy the sports they love.” … ” Read more from KTXL here: Boreal makes drought-friendly snow ahead of ski season
NAPA/SONOMA
Napa commentary: Some steps to protect our groundwater
Pam Smithers of Napa writes, “To the GSA appointed Groundwater Committee: As a member of the Watershed Information & Conservation Council of Napa County (WICC) since December 2013, I have attended many meetings where groundwater efforts were reported on, so I start from a position of some knowledge of what the experts are saying, and what the State is requiring us to prove. It is my understanding that the GSA must provide a plan to the state of California for management and use of groundwater in the Napa Valley Subbasin, which plan must provide evidence of the county’s ability to manage our groundwater in a manner that said groundwater can be maintained into the future without undesirable results. ... ” Read more from the Napa Valley Register here: Napa commentary: Some steps to protect our groundwater
BAY AREA
Santa Clara Valley: Water conservation helps groundwater levels decrease at slower rate
“Since the Santa Clara Valley Water District declared a water shortage emergency in June, water consumption has continued to decrease — slowing the rate of groundwater declines. At the district’s board meeting on Tuesday, staff shared that nearly all of their 13 water retailers used around 10% less water than they did in 2019 for the month of August. The water district does not yet have the September water usage data compiled, but senior water resources specialist Neeta Bijoor said August’s numbers indicate a downward trend in water usage. … ” Read more from Palo Alton Online here: Water conservation helps groundwater levels decrease at slower rate
CENTRAL COAST
Court strikes down oil industry pollution protections in Monterey County
“A California appeals court on Tuesday struck down the landmark Measure Z ballot initiative that banned new oil and gas wells and phased out waste fluid disposal in Monterey County. The court ruled that the local ordinance, which passed with overwhelming support in 2016, is preempted by state oil and gas laws. “This ruling flies in the face of local people who just want to protect ourselves and our groundwater from filthy oil and gas production,” said Laura Solorio, M.D., president of Protect Monterey County. “Voters spoke loud and clear that we want to move away from the polluting fossil fuel industry. We’ll keep fighting for voters to be heard.” … ” Read more from the Center for Biological Diversity here: Court strikes down oil industry pollution protections in Monterey County
Ventura County Commentary: Not a solution
“Our water supply has reached a critical state, yet local agencies continue to evade the elephant in the room; unsustainable consumption threatens the future of our community. … Recognizing the need to adapt to a changing climate, California state legislators passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to require local water agencies to develop sustainable management practices. Yet many agencies see this as a threat, rather than an opportunity to protect our community. Seeking to subvert oversight, local agencies are now proposing a “physical solution” to the adjudication lawsuit which will do nothing to maintain a sustainable water supply. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Reporter here: Commentary: Not a solution
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Diablo Grande community could run out of water this week
“Nearly 800 residents in the Diablo Grande community could run out of water by the end of the week. Some residents were upset that their water rates could increase even as they’re asked to conserve. “This is not, you know, a third-world country. This is the United States of America and I’m talking to you about running out of water. To me, that is crazy,” resident Alexis Schleich told FOX40. ... ” Read more from Fox 40 here: Diablo Grande community could run out of water this week
Drought could dry up popular I-5 oasis
“Kettleman City, a popular stop for travelers on Interstate 5 with its host of gas stations and fast food joints, is on the brink of going dry. If that happens, those businesses could shut down. Lawmakers and others are trying to work out a fix but so far, things are moving slowly. “If they don’t work it out, it’ll be a ghost town,” said Kettleman City resident Bob Lewis, who. “It’s just a matter of life and death for Kettleman City. It’s as simple as that.” ... ” Read more from SJV Water here: Drought could dry up popular I-5 oasis
State begins effort to clean up toxic ‘Delano Plume’
“More than a decade after elevated levels of a cancer-causing chemical were found in downtown Delano, residents now believe a solution has been reached. On Wednesday, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control showed off new construction that is meant to filter the toxic chemical Tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, from beneath buildings near Main Street in Delano. In 2008, a groundwater test of a nearby Chevron station revealed the presence of PCE in the soil. The state allows for a maximum PCE level of five parts per billion. The level found in the groundwater test was 440 parts per billion, according to DTSC. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: State begins effort to clean up toxic ‘Delano Plume’
Gladstone Land acquires nut orchard and option to purchase stored water in California
“Gladstone Land Corporation announced that it has acquired 1,284 gross acres of farmland, including over 1,200 planted acres of pistachios and almonds (a portion of which is organic), located in Kern County, California, and 19,670 acre-feet of stored water (equal to approximately 6.4 billion gallons) located within the Semitropic Water Storage District water bank for a total of approximately $43.0 million. In connection with the acquisition, Gladstone Land entered into a 10-year, triple-net lease agreement for the farmland. This is the third and final closing of a previously announced three-part acquisition that will result in total consideration of approximately $84.2 million. … ” Read more from Fresh Plaza here: Gladstone Land acquires nut orchard and option to purchase stored water in California
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Equity in urban design: For LA River revitalization, numbers are not enough
“Jean Yang, a senior associate at the Los Angeles design firm Studio-MLA, is a self-described recovering “metrics-aholic.” Educated in economics, Yang learned to trust hard numbers, but through experience working with communities, she realized that we need to look beyond quantitative metrics to understand how to reflect community input into public space design. As Studio-MLA’s project manager for the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries plan, Yang is helping apply both qualitative and quantitative insights to ensure equity in a massive revitalization plan. “The LA River is 52 miles long and links a variety of communities, income levels, and histories,” Yang said. “We need to understand it as a connective tissue that not only links us, but also highlights what’s special and unique about each place.” … ” Read more from ESRI here: Equity in urban design: For LA River revitalization, numbers are not enough
San Bernardino forest: Arrowhead bottler: Most water piped from national forest is returned to ground or supplied to tribe
“Facing criticism for wasting water during droughts, the company that pipes water out of a Southern California national forest to sell under the Arrowhead brand says 90% of the water it takes is returned to the same watershed or supplied to a Native American tribe. In April, a new company called BlueTriton Brands took over Nestle’s North American bottled water operations, including Arrowhead. That month, state water officials issued a draft order telling Nestlé to stop taking most of the water it pipes out of the San Bernardino National Forest. Nestle had faced years of regulatory probes and public outcry over the bottling and sales. State officials said the finding applies to BlueTriton, which appealed it. … ” Continue reading at the Desert Sun here: San Bernardino forest: Arrowhead bottler: Most water piped from national forest is returned to ground or supplied to tribe
San Diego has a dependable water supply thanks to yearslong investments
“Drinking water from this tap makes San Diego County Water Authority’s General Manager Sandy Kerl smile — and for good reason. Back in the drought of the ’90s, 95% of San Diego’s water came from one source, and they faced 30% cuts for 13 months. “Of course being at the end of a pipeline, when there’s little water available, you are at high risk. So, our community came together and said let’s diversify,” Kerl said. Fast-forward 30 years later, and the San Diego County Water Authority has multiple streams of water sources in its portfolio, including the groundbreaking Carlsbad Desalination Plant that utilizes ocean water to provide the region with about 10% of its drinking water. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1 here: San Diego has a dependable water supply thanks to yearslong investments
Along the Colorado River …
California, Arizona water agencies partner to advance development of large-scale recycled water project
“Building on increased collaboration on the Colorado River, water agencies in Southern California and Arizona have forged a new partnership to advance development of one of the largest water recycling plants in the country – a project that would help restore balance to the over-stressed river. Through an agreement approved Tuesday by Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors, the Central Arizona Project and Arizona Department of Water Resources will contribute up to $6 million to environmental planning of the Regional Recycled Water Program, a project to purify treated wastewater to produce a new, drought-proof water supply for Southern California. Southern Nevada Water Authority signed a similar agreement with Metropolitan earlier this year. … ” Read more from Yahoo News here: California, Arizona water agencies partner to advance development of large-scale recycled water project
SEE ALSO: Southern California, Arizona water suppliers collaborate on water recycling concept, from the Inland Daily Bulletin
Queen Creek fights for transfer of water rights
“A precedent-setting plan to transfer water rights has set up a fight between Colorado River communities and a town in central Arizona. The proposal calls for 2,000 acre feet of Colorado River water to be transferred 260 miles away to the town of Queen Creek. The town wants to purchase and transfer water from a farm in La Paz County. The request has been approved by the Arizona Department of Water Resources and awaits a review by the Bureau of Reclamation. … ” Read more from KJZZ here: Queen Creek fights for transfer of water rights
New contamination concern for Colorado Streams
“Cutthroat trout were once abundant in Colorado’s Snake River, but water runoff contaminated with zinc and other minerals from abandoned mines along the tributary rendered much of the waterway uninhabitable to fish and other native species. This runoff and its effects on the Snake River—which drains into Dillon Reservoir, a major water supply for Denver and its surrounding regions—came to light in the early 1960s after scientists measured the river’s water quality and found high levels of aluminum, iron, and manganese. Scientists now have found yet another problem making the situation worse: Closed mines and climate change are also causing rare earth elements (REEs)—a set of 17 metallic elements that are essential to many of today’s electronic devices—to leach into the river, according to a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology. … ” Read more from EOS here: New contamination concern for Colorado Streams
In national water news today …
EPA advances WOTUS rewrite
“The Biden administration has crafted a new definition of “water of the U.S.,” wading into a politically explosive regulation that has riled lawmakers, courts, farmers and environmental groups for decades. Today, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers sent a proposed rule to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to revise the definition of what constitutes a “water of the U.S.,” or WOTUS. “This action marks an important step in the agencies’ efforts to ensure clean and safe water for all,” EPA spokesperson Nick Conger wrote in an email. “EPA and Army are committed to developing a reasonable, effective, and durable definition of WOTUS that protects public health, the environment, and downstream communities while supporting economic opportunity, agriculture, and other industries.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: EPA advances WOTUS rewrite
EPA, Army announce regional roundtables on WOTUS
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) called on communities to propose roundtables to provide input on the regional implications of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The regional roundtables will engage stakeholders representing diverse perspectives in meaningful dialogue to help inform the agencies’ work to develop an enduring definition of WOTUS that supports public health, environmental protection, agricultural activity, and economic growth. “Crafting a lasting definition of WOTUS means that we must bolster our understanding of how different regions experience and protect our nation’s vital waters,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “These roundtables will provide a great opportunity to deepen our shared knowledge. They also represent one opportunity—in a suite of strategic tools—the agencies are utilizing to obtain input on this important topic.” … ” Read more from the EPA here: EPA, Army announce regional roundtables on WOTUS
Toxic algae blooms are multiplying. The government has no plan to help.
“Most of the air we breathe comes from algae and other aquatic organisms that have been photosynthesizing sunlight into oxygen for a billion years. But not all algae are life-giving. Blue-green algae contain a powerful class of toxins called cyanotoxins. When these algae form blooms — rapid accumulations of algae in fresh or marine water — they can damage ecosystems and cause vomiting, fever, headache, neurological problems, and even death in humans and animals. These poisonous organisms have been cropping up a lot lately. … But despite the dangers of algae-related poisoning and the harmful and costly impacts of blooms on ecosystems, the federal government doesn’t have a cohesive strategy for dealing with freshwater harmful algal blooms, or HABs. That’s the conclusion of a new watchdog report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General. … ” Read more from The Grist here: Toxic algae blooms are multiplying. The government has no plan to help.
Corporations are pledging to be ‘water positive’. What does that mean?
“One of PepsiCo’s largest food manufacturing plants sits in the perennially water-stressed Valley of Mexico watershed, which provides water to 21 million people in Mexico City and its surrounding suburbs. … “The city cannot provide the water that we need, so we truck it in,” said Roberta Barbieri, vice-president for global sustainability at PepsiCo. It’s an expensive solution to an intractable problem – the water shortage is not sustainable from either a human or business standpoint. So Pepsi has promised to decrease its water consumption in the region and replenish what it uses. By treating wastewater on site, for example, the factory can reuse 80% of the water it draws from the tap or the truck. “We’re pushing to get that close to 100%,” Barbieri said. The efforts are part of the company’s “water positive” commitment to put more water into areas where they operate than they take out. … ” Read more from The Guardian here: Corporations are pledging to be ‘water positive’. What does that mean?
September 2021 was Earth’s 5th warmest on record
“The world just saw its fifth-warmest September since 1880, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. September added to a warm string of months for 2021 so far, making for the sixth-warmest year-to-date on record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Rankings Outlook, 2021 is almost certain (a more than 99% chance) to rank among the 10-warmest years on record. Here’s more highlights from NOAA’s September global climate report … ” Continue reading from NOAA here: September 2021 was Earth’s 5th warmest on record
Today’s featured articles …
BAY DELTA SCIENCE CONFERENCE: Montezuma Wetlands Project: Early Results and Lessens Learned from a Newly Breached Marsh
The Montezuma Wetlands Project is a multi-phase restoration project that uses dredged sediment to raise elevations in diked, subsided baylands to restore ~2,000 acres of a tidal wetland ecosystem. This project is unique, as it receives most of its revenue from the acceptance of dredged sediments.
In operation since 2003, the project is on target to accomplish its restoration goals in support of the Long-Term Management Strategy (LTMS), established by a joint effort of the Corps and other federal, state, and regional agencies to maximize the safe, beneficial reuse of sediment dredged from SF Estuary.
At the 2021 Bay-Delta Science Conference, Cassie Pinnell, a senior ecologist with Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting and the project ecologist for the Montezuma Wetlands project, gave a presentation on the early results and lessons learned from the newly Montezuma wetlands marsh.
Click here to read this article.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
UPDATE: October 13 update on curtailment status of water rights and claims in the Delta watershed
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: 45-Day Public Comment Period Opens for SGM Grant Program Draft Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package
VELES WEEKLY REPORT: Light precipitation in Southern California. NQH2O down $47.07 or 5.47% to $813.60
WATER PLAN eNEWS: ~~ Mountain Counties~ Flood-MAR Survey~ Groundwater Webinar~ Water Commission~ Groundwater Trading~ Fellowship Program~~
